Self-adjusting recrimping die for shotgun shell reloaders



Oct. 17, 1967 T. J. BACHHUBER 3,347,128-

SELF-ADJUSTING RECRIMPING DIE FOR SHOTGUN SHELL RELOADERS Filed July 14, 1966 r w a INVENTOR.

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. ATfo Y 'Yf United States Patent Ofi ice 3,347,128 SELF-ADJUSTING RECRIMPING DIE FOR SHOTGUN SHELL RELOADERS Theodore J. Bachhuber, 725 Dayton St., Mayville, Wis. 53050 Filed July 14, 1966, Ser. No. 565,191 6 Claims. (Cl. 86--39) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a shotgun shell reloader, a plunger reciprocable toward the supported and reloaded shell has a bore in which a crimping die mounted on a separate cylinder is freely rotatable with respect to the plunger. This die is sufficiently light in weight, and so free to rotate, that it is self-aligning with the creases of the reloaded shell, the die having miniature bosses which register with the crimping ribs and which guide the die in its re-entry into the creases.

In a shotgun shell reloader, it is necessary that the recrimping die be accurately registered with the residual creases of the original crimp in the body of the shell. If operation is rapid, the registration may not be effected fully, in which case a poor crimp results.

The invention contemplates that the crimping die be extremely lightweight and that support and mass be provided by a relatively heavy carrier in which the die rotates with such freedom as to be self-aligning with the creases of the reloaded shell. The carrier provides the pressure and support required for the actual crimping operation and the freely rotatable die determines the points of the reloader shell which are to be crimped.

The freely rotatable die is further desirably provided with miniature bosses in line with the crimping ribs and which guide the die in its re-entry into the creases of the previously crimped shell body, the guidance being sufficient, in a freely rotatable die, to permit the die to adjust itself evenin the course of rapid operation.

It is further a feature of the invention that the crimping ribs of the die are closely spaced, being designed to provide barely adequate clearance for the folds formed in 'the work, thus assuring that the folds are tightly creased as formed.

Background of the invention In my early attempts to make a crimping die self-adjusting, I had difliculty because the die has to be designed to sustain very substantial pressure and I was attempting to make the whole member sel-f adjusting rotatably. The inertia thereof prevented the die from achieving perfect registration with the work when the reloader was operated at any substantial speed. The exceptionally lightweight and freely rotatable die of the instant invention solves the problems experienced with a more massive self-adjusting die and at the same time its carrier provides the adequate backing which is needed when the die is actually functioning upon the work.

Description of the invention FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a manually operable reloader having a crimping die, parts being shown in section.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary detail view showing parts of the mechanism of FIG. 1 as they appear during a crimping and sealing operation, portions of the shell in the sealing operation being broken away.

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged view in perspective showing component parts of the crimping die and its carrier in mutually separated positions.

FIG. 4 is a view showing in perspective a shell which has been partially crimped.

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged detail view in plan showing the application of the recrimping die to the crimps of a shell.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view on a somewhat reduced scale showing in section and in inverted position the parts as shown separated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary detail view in perspective showing the upper end of a shell on which the closing has been completed.

FIG. 8 is a view taken in section on the line 8--8 of FIG. 7.

The reloading device shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 comprises a shell-supporting table 10 toward and from which the platen 12 is reciprocable. A column 14 guides the platen. A hand lever 16 is connected with a cam 18 which forces the platen downwardly against the bias of a supporting spring 20. The reloaded shell 22 is placed on the table. It has residual creases at 24 where it was originally crimped.

The recrimping die of the present invention comprises a carrier connected with the platen and generically designated by reference character 26. The carrier includes a relatively heavy supporting sleeve at 28 having a beveled throat at 30 for guiding it onto the shell 22. Internally it has a shoulder at 32 for receiving a light sheet metal crimping die 40 which is closely but rotatably fitted to the carrier. This die has the form of a shallow inverted cup with its end deeply convoluted to provide genera-l-ly'radial ribs 42 which do the recrimping when properly registered with the creases 24 of the work. These ribs converge so closely together that the intervening channels 44 (FIGS. 5 and 6) are barely wide enough to receive two thicknesses of the material of the shell wall. Thus, when the die is fully engaged with the shell which is being recrimped, the folds 46 in the recrimped shell are sharply creased as shown in FIG. 5.

The lightweight crimping die 40 is freely rotatable within the barrel 28, being axially confined between the shoulder 32 which supports the lower margin 48 of the die and a bearing disk 50 which overlies the die end and is removably held within the barrel by a screw 52 threaded to the barrel and limited in its downward movement by the engagement of flange 54 of the screw against the top margin 56 of the barrel.

The crimping die 40 may be made of any appropriate material but desirably its inertia is held to a minimum. I prefer to use a ferrous stamping which is plated but I may use an aluminum or magnesium alloy so that the die will be very light in weight. The alloy should, obviously,

be strong because it is subjected to severe pressures. However, the die is supported both vertically and peripherally, being closely confined within and backed by the barrel 28 of the carrier 26 and being subject to the pressure of the thrust bearing 50 backed up by screw 52 as above described.

In order to make sure that the ribs 42 of the die will accurately align themselves with the residual creases 24 of the work, I prefer optionally to equip the die with miniature bosses 56 which are located in the side wall of the die between the margin 48 thereof and the end of each rib as best shown in FIG. 6. These bosses are really extensions of the respective ribs and may be parts thereof (although normally spaced therefrom). It is for this reason that I have characterized their use as optional. However, in practice, it is preferred that the bosses 56 be distinct from the ribs and slightly in advance of the respective ribs in an axial direction. The bosses tend to find their way into the spaces between the residual creases 24 of the used shell case. If the bosses do not immediately register with these creases, the pressure of the work against Patented Oct. 17, 1967 them tends to rotate the die to bring about full registra tion before the die is subjected to pressure. It is to facilitate such rotation that the die is made as light in weight as is possible, the carrier rather than the die itself being relied upon for the mass and support to achieve desired pressure to do the crimping.

After the shell has been recrimped, the die and carrier are withdrawn by elevation of platen 12, leaving the finished and creased crimps 44 as shown in FIG. 4. The shell is thereupon moved from crimping position to sealing position as shown in FIG. 2 and the closing die 60 engages the end of the recrimped shell during the next descent of platen 12 to close the end of the shell and press the crimps inwardly as indicated at 62 in FIGS. 2, 7 and 8. The crimps are now tightly compressed against the charge of shot 64 to complete the reloading operation.

I claim:

1. The combination with means for supporting a shell having residual creases to be recrimped, of a platen having means guiding it for movement to and from said supporting means, a recrimping die having means supporting it from the platen for movement therewith to and from the shell, said supporting means being fixed to the platen and means supporting the recrimping die for free rotation with respect to the supporting means, engagement of the die with residual creases in the shell to be recrirnped efi'ecting. such rotation.

2. A combination according to claim 1 in which the recrimping die comprises a lightweight insert, and the means supporting it for free rotation comprises a die carrier connected with the platen and having means for confining and supporting the insert.

3. A combination according to claim 1 in which the means supporting the die for free rotation comprises a carrier barrel having a work-receiving throat and a shoulder and a thrust bearing surface spaced from the shoulder, the die per se comprising a lightweight sheet metal member provided with crimping ribs and having a margin seated on the shoulder, said ribs converging radially and upwardly toward said bearing surface and the die being closely confined but freely rotatable within the barrel between the shoulder and said surfaces.

4. A combination according to claim 3 in which the ribs of said die have their upper inner end portions spaced to fit snugly upon a fold having a residual crease of said shell.

5. In a combination according to claim 1, a crimping die which comprises a light inverted cup shaped sheet metal member of little mass having creasing ribs circumferentially spaced to receive with tight fit a fold of the shell and extending radially and upwardly from, and integral with, a side wall into which the residually creased end of a shell is receivable, the die being self adjusting rotatably to register its ribs with the residual creases of such a shell.

6. A combination according to claim 5 in which said side wall has bosses below the ends of respective ribs and adapted to facilitate guidance of the die rotatively into registration with the residual creases of the shell.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,749,791 6/1956 Miller 8640 3,033,070 5/1962 Thompson 864O X BENJAMIN A. BORCI-IELT, Primary Examiner.

P. A. SHANLEY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A SHELL HAVING RESIDUAL CREASES TO BE RECRIMPED, OF A PLATEN HAVING MEANS GUIDING IT FOR MOVEMENT TO AND FROM SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, A RECRIMPING DIE HAVING MEANS SUPPORTING IT FROM THE PLATEN FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH TO AND FROM THE SHELL, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS BEING FIXED TO THE PLATEN AND MEANS SUPPORTING THE RECRIMPING DIE FOR FREE ROTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE SUPPORTING MEANS, ENGAGEMENT OF THE 